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Zhi Wu Xue Jia

The Botanist | Der Botaniker
Generation Kplus 2025
© Monologue Films
In a village in a remote valley on the northern border of Xinjiang, China, a lonely Kazakh boy named Arsin nurses fading memories of his family. He finds solace in the company of plants. The arrival of Meiyu, a Han Chinese girl, is like the discovery of a plant he has never seen before, bringing him comfort and a strange sense of wonder. Together, they grow like two distinct species, rooted in a shared corner of the world, imagining the valley as an endless ocean. But one day, Arsin learns that Meiyu will be moving to Shanghai, which is 4,792 kilometres away – a distance he struggles to comprehend. She is headed to a city where the ocean actually exists. Arsin is left alone to grapple with the quiet shifts in their small, fragile world.
by Jing Yi (Director, Screenplay)
with Jahseleh Yesl, Ren Zihan, Nurdaolet Jalen, Eramazan Sarhet, Jomajan Songhat People’s Republic of China 2025 Kazakh, Mandarin 96' Colour World premiere | Debut film recommendation: 10 years and up

With

  • Jahseleh Yesl (Arsin)
  • Ren Zihan (Meiyu)
  • Nurdaolet Jalen (Brother)
  • Eramazan Sarhet (Grandmother)
  • Jomajan Songhat (Aman)

Crew

Director Jing Yi
Screenplay Jing Yi
Cinematography Li Vanon
Editing Liu Yaonan, Jing Yi
Music Yazdanian Peyman
Sound Design Hao Gang
Production Design Xu Yao
Producers Shan Zuolong, Qi Ai
Executive Producers Shen Morton, An Jianhao Andy, Wang Bo, Li Tingwei, Wang Hengming
Co-Producers An Jianhao Andy, Li Xiaoyuan

World Sales

MAGNIFY

Produced by

Monologue Films

28ST Films

Poly Film

Photos

Jing Yi

Born in Xinjiang, China in 1994, he is a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy. He has made several short films, often exploring the inner worlds of minority groups in contemporary China. Zhi Wu Xue Jia, which is celebrating its world premiere in Generation, is his debut feature film. While in development, it was selected for the 2023 Asian Project Market where it won the New Horse Award. The film also received post-production funding from the Doha Film Institute Grants Programme in 2024.

Filmography

2019 Bu Kao Si Ji (Bukowski); short film 2021 Man Li Ka (The Princess); short film 2025 Zhi Wu Xue Jia (The Botanist)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025